Once upon a time, far from the four grey mountains and beyond the wind swept plains, on the banks of the limitless river, stood the velvet forest. Deep within the forest, so deep that few creatures had ever ventured there, grew a proud, noble tree. The tree would stretch his fingertip branches up to the top of the forest to feel the wind fly and when darkness fell he would listen to the soft gliding footsteps of the wind as it swept rippling over the grass plains. Each night the tree would dream that he was riding with the wind across the grass plains with the cool air streaming through each branch in turn. Then he would climb the grey mountains to lean against the wind as it buffeted over him like a waterfall.

Alister, the fast-footed stag, journeyed every year from the heights of the four grey mountains, racing across the open plains to the velvet forest on the banks of the limitless river. Even when Alister wandered into the densest depth of the forest he was as light-footed and nimble as if he was still gliding across the treeless plains. One day he ventured far into the velvet forest to where the noble tree stood. When the tree saw the graceful stag he gave a deep sigh, "If only that light-footed stag would take me with him to race the wind on the open grass plains up to the four grey mountains, then I would be happy!''. But Alister did not listen to the noble tree, he raced on dancing through the forest.

The tree set to work wondering and planing how to make his dream possible. He grew the most amazing bumpy, spiky creatures; although only small their round little bodies were soon decorating every branch. The proud tree stretched out each newly decorated branch and let the little creatures dangle into the forest below. When Alister saw the proud tree he was fascinated, never had he seen such tree creatures. He looked up at a small prickly creature and asked," Why not jump down here tree creature and play in the forest with me?''. The tree creature looked down at Alister and begged "I wish I could come down and play but the tree is holding me so fast and he is only dreaming of running with the wind. If only you would carry the spirit of the tree with you as you race across the grass plains to the four grey mountains, then I would be free.''

Alister heard the sad lament of the tree creatures and agreed. The tree let the tree creatures go and they jumped to the forest floor. Alister stood surrounded by a carpet of prickly creatures. Each creature had split into two crawling away in a wild dance on their spindly legs, revealing from out of its heart a gleaming, golden ball. When Alister bent down to look at a ball he saw on its shiny surface his handsome reflection with the two velvet branches of the tree spirit proudly crowning his head. Alister stretched to his new height and before embarking on his journey he said goodbye to the tree creatures promising to return. Then with care not to entangle the tree spirit, Alister made his way gracefully leaping through the forest. Once on the open grass plains, in a dazzling light, they raced with the wind, the cool air streaming through the tree spirit each branch in turn. They climbed the grey mountains and braced against the wind on its summit, with the wind buffeting over them like a waterfall.

The tree spirit was humbled by the beauty of the mountain. He had never dreamed that the wind he use to feel in the fingertips of his branches while still in the velvet forest , had travelled from such magnificence. Here he would be happy, humbled by the mighty mountain and battered by the wind. The tree spirit fell to the ground growing with the wind on the top of the grey mountain.

Alister still makes his journey every year to the velvet forest on the banks of the limitless river to play with the amazing tree creatures which crawl their wild dance on the forest floor. When he returns, racing with the wind across the rippling grass plains to the grey mountains he finds growing there a beautiful tree.

The End